The Cartographers’ Guild is a forum created by and for map makers and aficionados, a place where every aspect of cartography can be admired, examined, learned, and discussed. Our membership consists of professional designers and artists, hobbyists, and amateurs—all are welcome to join and participate in the quest for cartographic skill and knowledge.

Although we specialize in maps of fictional realms, as commonly used in both novels and games (both tabletop and role-playing), many Guild members are also proficient in historical and contemporary maps. Likewise, we specialize in computer-assisted cartography (such as with GIMP, Adobe apps, Campaign Cartographer, Dundjinni, etc.), although many members here also have interest in maps drafted by hand.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ. You will have to register before you can post or view full size images in the forums.

Uncivilized Coastal Map

Greetings folks, I found this guild by way of RPMillers sig image at www.rptools.net...

I figured I'd start off with a map I began work on this evening... I have all the major landscape features finished and am debating adding a few cities and trade roads but, I consider this map a finished product as it is now... though, it could use a compass rose methinks.

Ah well, I'll have to work on one of those next i figure.

edit: ya know... i take it back... those hills look atrocious on closer inspection... no way in hades this is finished yet...

Great start and agreed about the hills. Perhaps a better way to represent them would be not to have them outlined with black but to use deeper shades of green to suggest the shape but in a 'diagonal pencil sketch' way (if that makes any sense) as you have done for the trees.

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I'll try each technique tonight and see what happens.

So far as how I went about getting the water effects...

Well, it's only a single layer of pale blue with some effects added to it. I can get more specific on the actual settings later. I'd do it now but I'm on a different computer and can't refer to the psd.

The current like effect was made with a bit of patience and the Satin effect. I set it's contour to the stock setting available that looks like two little triangles. Then I just sat and alternated the scale and distance until it looked about right... I then turned the opacity down almost to nothing... prob around 10 or 20 percent if i recall.

Added a Bevel of nothing and the texture option that is only available if Bevel and Emboss is checked. ((The texture was the rusty red and black looking spread, it's good for many different terrains))

So far as the coastlines... there is a 10px border up and down each coastline that is on an upper layer and was used to select and cut out grass at an even distance all around. Then a mild Blur effect up and down each coast on the grassy layer sort of hid the hard edges.

A bit of outer and inner glow tweakings took care of merging coastline into mainland fairly well I think.

Those hills are killing me though... YARGH!!!!

Gotta get back to work

Last edited by Duvik; 07-13-2007 at 01:35 PM.
Reason: Yikes... I thought the thumbs down was a smilie... didn't realize it showed on header